Life of Martin Garza celebrated at memorial

Steven Acosta, left, and Josh Godinez led other football players carrying the casket of slain teammate Martin Garza to the 50-yard line at his memorial service, a three-hour remembrance by Garza's coaches, teachers and classmates. The nearly 2,000 in attendance lined up in the chilly night to view Garza in his open casket at Warne Field, where he was a left guard and a leader.
— Peggy Peattie

Steven Acosta, left, and Josh Godinez led other football players carrying the casket of slain teammate Martin Garza to the 50-yard line at his memorial service, a three-hour remembrance by Garza's coaches, teachers and classmates. The nearly 2,000 in attendance lined up in the chilly night to view Garza in his open casket at Warne Field, where he was a left guard and a leader.
— Peggy Peattie

Why his initials and his football number, 73, were shaved into the sides of heads.

Why, in all, more than 50 pallbearers carried him through the chilly night air.

Why, on Saturday morning, after Mass at St. Margaret Mary Church, hundreds escorted him to his final resting place at Riverview Cemetery.

“This is God’s child and he let us raise him,” Yulil said. “He gave us the honor and the privilege and trust to raise a really great young man. And I’m not mad at God, because I know it was his child and it was his time to take his child back.”